Improvement in connections for iron and steel bridges



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CONNECTIONS FOR IRON AND STEEL BRIDGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,050, dated July 18,1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS G. CLARKE and ADoLPHUs BoNzANo, of the cityof Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Connections for Iron and Steel Bridges; and thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same,reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part of thisspeciication, in which- Figures l and 2 represent, respectively, a sideand top view of a plan of connecting wrought-iron columns and lateralbracing by means of an interior sleeve, exterior plates, eyebolts, andpins, as will be explained.

This invention consists in connecting wroughtiron columns and lateralbracing by means of a hollow sleeve on the inside of the column, andcast-iron plates at the exterior, and pins and eyebolts, so as to form aperfect and rigid joint.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use this invention, wewill proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawing'.

AandB represent two columns, which are to be united as follows: First, ahollow internal sleeve, c, serves as a tenon, entering both ofthecolumns, so as to cross the joint between their adjacent ends. Exteriorplates et b are then laid aga-inst the panels or staves of the columns,also crossing the joint between the two columns. The plates a haveprojections or pockets c to receive the end of the lateral bracing C,through which lateral bracing a hole is made for a pin, d. The pin 0Ipasses through the eye of an eyebolt, c, which eyebolt in turn passesthrough the plate a, the body of theV column, and sleeve, and is caughtand drawn up against the plate b by a nut, f, said plate b being in thenature of a washer, but extending across the joint between the columns.

The angle at which the lateral bracing Fis to bev set in relation to thecolumn is regulated by the bevel ofthe plate a. The tie-rods D may beconnected to the pins d by the bow or strap E.

Having thus fully described our invention,what we cla-im herein as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the pins passing through the struts and the eyeboltspassing through the main column and sleeve therein, together with thesplices at the outside ofthe column with pockets or tenons thereon toreceive said struts or lateral bracing, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

THOMAS C. CLARKE. A. BONZANO.

Witnesses A. B. SToUGHToN, EDMUND MAssoN.

